At the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, Expedition 31 Soyuz Commander Gennady
Padalka, NASA Flight Engineer Joe Acaba and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin participated in a variety of
activities from May 2-10, as they prepared for their May 15 local time launch to the International Space
Station. The footage includes the crew’s arrival in Baikonur, fit checks in the Soyuz TMA-04M
spacecraft, the raising of flags outside the Cosmonaut Hotel crew quarters, the encapsulation of the
Soyuz vehicle within its rocket, and other traditional activities. The video also features the backup crew
members, Russian Soyuz Commander Oleg Novitskiy, NASA Flight Engineer Kevin Ford and Flight
Engineer Evgeny Tarelkin, who also participated in Russian Victory Day celebrations in Baikonur on May
9.